Morrissey @ Lowry, Salford

10:39am Thursday 20th April 2006

THE atmosphere leading up to Morrissey's arrival on stage was more reminiscent of a football match than a gig, with the adoring crowd repeatedly chanting his name.

When the genius with the quiff finally appeared, the Lowry's Lyric Theatre went crazy, a cacophony of cheers threatening to lift the venue's roof off.

The former Smiths front man inspires the sort of devotion usually reserved for religious leaders and the front row of the stalls was a sea of outstretched hands - fans desperate to touch their idol.

His first number was The Last of the Gang To Die, a fabulous track from his last album, You Are The Quarry. I adore this track, with its poetic, contrary lyrics.

One of the many things I admire about the boy from Stretford is his refusal to dine out on his musical past and he kept the number of Smiths songs to a minimum.

There was Girlfriend In A Coma, Still Ill and How Soon Is Now, with its piercing, haunting guitar riff that still, 20 years on, sends shivers down my back.

Moz may have a reputation of producing downbeat songs but on stage he's quite the joker, as sharp as the proverbial tack.

And like a good wine he's maturing nicely too. In the past, people have criticised his voice for being weak live but there's a captivating power to it that makes a mockery of such criticisms.

The encore was infuriatingly short, consisting of Irish Blood, English Heart, leaving us to walk out of the Lowry - on air.

Rick Bowen